Bangkok’s famous Khao San Road may still be filled with tourists buying beer and cheap shirts, but the reality is that business owners across Thailand are struggling as tourism drops to all-time lows, reports Patrick Tombola.

Couchsurfing.org is fast becoming a hit with young globetrotters. This free travel network opens up a world of opportunity for “surfers”, but will it affect the billion dollar backpacker industry? Natalie Muller investigates.

Neda Vanovac gives a first hand account of the experience of couchsurfing and the world it opens tourists up to.

Only a few hours south of hectic Athens lies a treasure trove of islands that will enchant visitors and have them returning time and time again, writes Michael Romei.

In a country where environmental crimes still go largely unchecked, Indonesia’s Komodo National Park provides proof that conservation and ecotourism efforts really can make a difference, but there’s always more to be done. By Ashlee Betteridge.

Over the past few years Lebanon has become defined by the conflicts that have torn it apart. But in 2009 The New York Times ranked Beirut first on its “44 places to go” list and Lonely Planet named it one of the top 10 liveliest cities. It seems the veil has been lifted and the city, dubbed the Paris of the Middle East, is alive once more. By Victoria Nakhle.

Filled with radical art, architecture and style yet grounded in centuries of culture, dynamic Barcelona has been seducing its visitors for decades, writes Michael Romei.

Just an hour by train from hectic Paris, the Loire Valley is a cultural oasis renowned for fairytale castles, sumptuous chateau, incredible gastronomy and unparalleled natural beauty, writes Zoya Sheftalovich.

Heading to the shores of the mother country is almost a rite of passage for Aussies, even if the credit crunch has curbed our numbers. But have we become just another London tourist-cliché, easily identified by our rugby jerseys and Havaianas? Andy Park shares his opinion on the English experience.